Turkish teacher arrested for sexual abuse of students

KARAMAN – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

A Turkish teacher has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of eight male students in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman.

The teacher, identified as Muammer B., had been teaching private courses for students in apartments rented by the Karaman branch of the Ensar Foundation. He was arrested on March 13 upon a claim the 54-year-old man had raped eight of his male students in these apartments.

The number of school-aged boys who were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by Muammer B. was stated as eight in an expert report prepared within an investigation which led to his arrest and the number is expected to rise. Daily Birgün reported on March 13 that Muammer B. had once worked for the foundation and the apartments were being rented by persons close to the foundation and an association whose members reportedly consisted of alumnus of an imam hatip high school in Karaman.

“Muammer B. worked for our foundation for five months in 2013, holding private class sessions. We had received no complaints or problems at the time from his service,” Ali Bağcı, an official from the Karaman branch of the Ensar Foundation, was quoted as saying by Doğan News Agency.

The investigation headed by the Karaman Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the investigation to be run with privacy for the file containing the health reports of the male students allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by Muammer B.

The Turkish National Education Ministry Karaman Directorate also launched an administrative investigation into alleged sexual abuse by the man.

Muammer B. was reportedly born in a village in Karaman, has been divorced three times and has a child. He was working for the Gazi Mustafa Kemal Primary School for the past three years and reported to have held private courses.